Is Bali Actually Cheap? What We Learned About Prices

Before going to Bali, we'd heard two completely different versions of the same place.

One was:

“Bali is ridiculously cheap.”

The other was:

“Bali isn't cheap anymore.”

After going, we'd say they're both true.

Bali can feel incredibly inexpensive one minute and surprisingly expensive the next.

It depends almost entirely on how you travel.

Transport can feel ridiculously cheap

Coming from Ireland, some Grab journeys felt almost unreal.

You can occasionally travel somewhere for the equivalent of only a few euro.

That can make you start thinking transport doesn't matter when planning the trip.

But there's another cost:

your time.

A cheap taxi isn't necessarily good value if you're sitting in it for an hour because you've planned your day badly.

We quickly became much more interested in journey time than taxi price.

Massages are one of the best-value things in Bali

This was one thing we happily spent money on.

Spa treatments and massages can cost significantly less than we'd expect to pay at home.

And in Bali, they make perfect sense.

You're walking.

Swimming.

Surfing.

Travelling around.

Sitting in traffic.

By the middle of the trip, a massage doesn't feel like a luxury anymore.

We started treating spa time almost like part of the itinerary.

Local food can be extremely affordable

You absolutely do not have to spend European restaurant prices every night.

Local Indonesian food can be excellent value.

But Bali also has a huge number of polished restaurants targeting tourists.

Beautiful interiors.

Cocktails.

Imported ingredients.

Western menus.

Beachfront locations.

Those places can quickly bring the cost closer to what you'd expect at home.

Our favourite approach was mixing both.

Spend more when somewhere feels worth it.

Then have something simple the next day.

Beach clubs can completely change your budget

This is where “cheap Bali” can disappear very quickly.

Some beach clubs have minimum spends, premium seating, expensive cocktails and food priced for international visitors.

Two people can easily spend considerably more than expected during one afternoon.

That doesn't automatically make them bad value.

If you love the venue, stay for hours, swim, eat, drink and watch sunset, it might be one of your favourite days.

But we'd no longer assume something is worth paying for just because it's famous.

Bali makes it very easy to upgrade everything

This is probably how budgets quietly grow.

You start with a normal hotel.

Then see a private-pool villa.

You plan a normal dinner.

Then find a restaurant overlooking the ocean.

You plan to visit the beach.

Then see a daybed at a beach club.

You book a taxi.

Then think a private driver sounds easier.

None of these upgrades necessarily feels huge individually.

Together, they can completely change what the trip costs.

Keep some cash

Cards are common in many tourist-facing businesses, but we were still glad to have Indonesian rupiah.

Small shops, local food, tips, markets and little purchases are much easier with cash.

After a while, prices such as 100k, 200k and 500k start feeling normal.

A useful rough mental calculation for us was:

100,000 IDR is roughly around €5.

Exchange rates change, so it isn't exact, but it makes reading menus much easier.

Don't lose perspective

This was something we became more conscious of while travelling around Indonesia.

A price that seems tiny to someone earning and spending in euros can still have meaningful purchasing power locally.

Arguing over the equivalent of €1 with a driver or small business sometimes felt a little ridiculous once we thought about it properly.

That doesn't mean accepting obvious scams or paying whatever someone asks.

Just remember that “cheap for us” and “worthless locally” aren't the same thing.

So, is Bali cheap?

It can be.

You can eat inexpensively, use affordable transport, stay in reasonably priced accommodation and have an amazing trip without spending huge amounts.

But Bali can also easily become a luxury holiday.

Villas.

Cocktails.

Restaurants.

Beach clubs.

Spas.

Private drivers.

Shopping.

You can spend as much as you want.

Our advice would be to choose what matters to you.

We'd happily spend money on a brilliant experience, good food or somewhere special for sunset.

We'd be much less interested in paying a premium simply because somewhere is trending online.

The goal isn't to make Bali as cheap as possible.

It's to spend money on the parts you'll actually remember.